Benefits: 4.5% employer pension, 25 days annual leave with additional days between Christmas and new year when office is closed, 2 volunteer days, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, childcare vouchers.

Key relationships:

Internal: Line management of a team of seven, ThinkForward exec team, ThinkForward central team External: School lead & headteachers, business partners, steering group, donors Overview of ThinkForward: ThinkForward is a breakthrough coaching programme that ensures young people who are disengaged from or underperforming at school receive support to transition into sustained employment. Young people are identified for the programme aged 13 based on risk factors known to increase their chances of future unemployment. They are offered one-to-one support from a progression coach who builds a trusted and long-term relationship over five years, helping them to overcome challenges in and out of school and linking them to ready for work activities provided by a community of businesses. By the end of the programme young people develop the aspirations, skills and mindsets needed to thrive and sustain employment.

Overview and purpose of the role:

In our first two years in Nottingham, ThinkForward has so far established and delivered our programme in five schools and so our new regional delivery manager will join us at a pivotal time as we mark our arrival at our sixth school and add an education and employment coordinator to the team.

Priorities will include refining our programme delivery, proving our impact and working towards the successful graduation of our first cohort to have completed the programme in the region, in summer 2019.

The Nottingham regional delivery manager plays a vital role in leading a gifted and enthusiastic team of progression coaches, ensuring that staff are supported and continually improving the quality of our practice.

The head of delivery is a key part of our six-person delivery management team – delivering a consistently brilliant provision of ThinkForward and MoveForward across our Nottingham, Kent, London and Warwickshire locations.

The expectations are high, but you will be supported by a great team and the role provides plenty of opportunities for growth and development.

Key responsibilities:

With team:

Inspire the team to deliver the programme excellently, maintaining high levels of team morale and motivation

Carry out fortnightly supervisions, observations and coaching sessions with staff

Use management information data to carry out monthly line management meetings

Develop staff in their professional practice – includes overseeing HR processes (appraisals, objective setting and personal development plans, recruitment, selection and induction)

Ensure team meetings are used to share best practice and drive performance

Act as Designated Safeguarding Officer for Nottingham

With schools:

Manage the school relationships including the termly reviews with school leads

Prepare and present impact reports using data outcomes

Be accountable for the continued successful delivery of ThinkForward in schools

Programme quality & standards:

Ensure that coaches are delivering to the high standards we expect, through Quality Assurance observations

Support coaches to ensure the ThinkForward programme promise of interventions is delivered

Ensure that organisational polices are adhered to

Use data to review and plan programme delivery in each school termly

Strategy & sustainability:

Identify and manage the network of support and interventions for young people, with the support of the education and employment coordinator

Support the education and employment coordinator to manage relationships with business partners

Share local issues affecting ThinkForward and contribute to the wider strategic direction of the organisation through the identification and development of relationships with key local partnerships (e.g. local authorities)

Lead on the development of a local steering group to support the growth and sustainability of the programme in Nottingham

To continually promote the impact of ThinkForward

Pass on potential funding leads to the fundraising team

Person specification

ThinkForward operates a staff competency framework to inform our recruitment and performance management of staff. The following behaviours define the expectations for this position.

Communication

Taking active steps to communicate new developments in a timely manner

Ensures communications reflect brand, values and objectives

Able to use of the strengths of different channels and methods of communication appropriately

Ability to communicate with staff of different levels from a variety of different stakeholders

Ability to communicate information appropriately to different audiences in an interesting and stimulating style

Planning and organizing

Very strong organisational and project management skills, including use of appropriate tools and systems

Delegates appropriate tasks and uses follow-up mechanisms to achieve results and to free up own time

Links plans and priorities to business objectives and partners’ strategies

Self-motivated, able to work independently and proactively

Think resourcefully to get things done (eg. in the absence of sufficient funds or resources)

Teamwork

Working collaboratively across functions/departments in order to achieve objectives

Building lasting relationships with different stakeholders for example schools, colleges, other charities, alternative education providers and employers

Focused on deliverables whilst also positively contributing to the wider development of the project

Impact and quality focused

Holding self and other team members accountable for achieving personal and team goals, delivering impact and improving quality

Driven by excellent standards and high quality, and experience of undertaking quality assurance activity and feeding back to colleagues

Use of data including client or team feedback to monitor progress or improve provision

Professional expertise

Coaching

Leading a team, ideally including experience of working with a remote team

Sharing expertise with others in order to improve skills

Seeks to continually develop own skills and practice identified through reflective practice and feedback from colleagues

Understanding of complex set of barriers that vulnerable young people face in and outside school that impact their learning and progression

Understanding of services available for young people

Understanding of CEIAG and the importance of tailored progression planning for vulnerable young people

Values

ThinkForward staff operate to the following values:

I will do what I say

I will believe in people’s potential

I will collaborate with others

I will search for creative solutions

I will trust my colleagues and our young people

ThinkForward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post-holders to share this commitment.

ThinkForward is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.